“This is the 13th season of our support of peregrine nesting at ORLEN Unipetrol. The public can traditionally watch their stories in a live broadcast from four chimneys in three locations on our production premises. Peregrine falcons regularly nest on two chimneys in Litvínov and one in Kralupy nad Vltavou and one in Neratovice. We have installed one box on a chimney in Paramo Pardubice this year. We believe this season to be successful for peregrine pairs and hope they will nest in our boxes and raise their young,” comments Katarzyna Woś, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.
The live broadcast from the nests gives the public a unique opportunity to learn more about this precious bird of prey. The boxes are installed at a height of more than 100 metres because peregrine falcons seek as high places as possible to nest and have absolute peace and an excellent view. Ornithologist Václav Beran from the ALKA Wildlife association prepares the boxes for the entire season every year before the peregrine nesting and courtship. “We repainted the nesting boxes in autumn and added a new artificial grass carpet and keramzit. Thus, peregrine pairs have their hideaways ready for the spring season. The period of courtship to raising the chicks usually starts at the turn of February and March, i.e., the season really starts now. We have already observed peregrines on the chimneys in Litvínov, Neratovice, and Pardubice. The warmer weather could mean they will start nesting earlier.”
A female peregrine falcon usually lays one to four eggs and sits on them for about 30 days until the eyases are born. Then, a real whirl and rush start for the parents because the offspring require regular care and feed. Their substantial menu includes pigeons, gulls, various small birds, and bats. Ornithologists ring the chicks after about three weeks to clarify the birds’ origin in the Czech territory in the future. They also record the chicks’ gender when seeing the nest. In June, the chicks are strong and experienced enough to leave the nest. Young raptors leave home to acquire experience and look for their own territory after two to three years, where they can provide for themselves and bring another generation of this endangered bird species into the world. The life span of peregrine falcons is up to 20 years, and they return to their popular nesting location all their life. These birds disappeared from our nature in the 1960s, but their numbers slowly continued growing in the new century. There are about 130 peregrine falcon pairs in Czechia now.
The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina filling station network in the Czech Republic and a network of ORLEN outlets in Slovakia and Hungary. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest multi-energy company in Central Europe. ORLEN Unipetrol employs almost 6,000 people and is active in corporate social responsibility. It seeks to promote initiatives that cultivate and support sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment.